When CEOs everywhere are discussing how best to secure company data, the CSO needs a new focus – not only on reducing risk, but on improving user experience.
Gartner predicts that 40% of boardrooms will have dedicated cybersecurity teams by 2025.
It used to be that CSOs secured the company, and that’s all they did. If securing data meant the burden of two or three levels of authentication across multiple devices, so be it.
This was bad enough when we all worked in offices, accessing data from an on-site bank of servers. Now that we’re all home, working on our own devices accessing our apps stored out there in the cloud (over public Internet circuits!), security can easily reach eye-rolling levels of complexity. Well, the CSO wasn’t rolling her eyes – she was just doing her job.
BUT! It seemed that in our new hybrid environment, no matter the measures put into place, security was still compromised. You can’t treat every employee as implicitly “trusted” over a VPN without introducing delays into the workday experience of your users.
Stretching a New Muscle
Superior security should also come with superior performance
Suddenly, the CSO is not only thinking about security. She’s stretching a new muscle – considering how the security measures she puts into place affect employee performance, and the ease with which they perform. Because if it isn’t easy, employees will bypass her measures altogether.
She knows that her hybrid and mobile workers need security that isn’t tied to a single location fed by a single VPN. Somehow, security needed to follow the user – who is now working from home, from the airport, from the coffee shop, at the poolside – but without creating an added security risk.
The Paradigm Shift of SASE: Network + Security
Disparate networking and security models are no longer sufficient to address the evolving threat landscape, especially when modern business operations involve cloud-based apps, hybrid and remote workers, personal devices, and public access.
Networking and security need to work together for the best user experience.
This is where Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) comes into play, offering a holistic approach that prioritizes user experience while actually improving security.
SASE represents a paradigm shift in how organizations approach networking and security – by the two functions into a unified, cloud-native platform.
“The one-size-fits-all security approach that used to work for the branch office now needs to include the user. The need for flexibility is rising, the demands are rising, and the threats are rising. We can no longer separate the user from the security model.”
– Ed Loveless, Director, Product Management, Zayo
This convergence allows SASE to streamline an organization’s infrastructure, reduce its complexity, and enhance its agility. This is achieved through a combination of technologies such as SD-WAN (Software-Defined Wide Area Network), Zero Trust security principles, secure web gateways, and cloud-native security services.
The Key Benefits of SASE
- The CSO can finally improve user experience…
SASE enables users to securely access applications and data from any location, on any device, without experiencing latency or performance issues. This flexibility enhances productivity and empowers remote and mobile workforces. - …while improving security…
SASE integrates advanced security capabilities such as next-generation firewalls, secure web gateways, zero-trust network access, and data loss prevention into a unified platform. This comprehensive security posture protects against a wide range of threats, including malware, ransomware, phishing attacks, and data breaches. - …reducing complexity…
By consolidating networking and security functions into a single cloud-native platform, SASE simplifies infrastructure management and reduces the need for solutions at lots of different network points. This streamlines operations, reduces costs, and improves overall efficiency. - …leaving room to grow and change…
SASE is inherently scalable and flexible, allowing organizations to pivot when the business and new threat landscapes require it. Whether expanding into new markets, adopting new technologies, or supporting a remote workforce, SASE provides the agility needed to scale and grow securely. - …and complying fully with government regulations
SASE helps organizations meet compliance requirements and regulatory mandates by providing granular visibility and control over network traffic, data access, and user behavior. This ensures adherence to industry-specific regulations and data protection standards.
SASE represents a modern approach to networking and security that prioritizes user experience, scalability, and agility while providing comprehensive protection against evolving cyber threats.
Netskope and Zayo: The SASE Dream Team
Netskope, the Gartner-recognized leading cloud security platform, and Zayo recently joined forces.
Zayo brings a global fiber optic network infrastructure with SD-WAN. Netskope brings the secure service edge. The result is an enhanced SASE offering and even stronger security.
Netskope and Zayo pull it all together. The network. The secure service edge. The complete solution:
The full package for cloud security
Netskope provides the ultimate in complete protection for cloud-native applications, data, and infrastructure. It’s the full package: CASB (Cloud Access Security Broker) with cloud DLP (Data Loss Prevention), next-gen firewalls, and secure web gateway. Embrace the cloud, knowing it’s secure.
Private cloud infrastructure
Netskope provides coverage wherever people and devices are. They did this by building their solution on the world’s highest-performing security private cloud: NewEdge – one unified network covering 220 countries & territories for a seamless security experience for users everywhere.
Advanced threat intelligence
Advanced threat intelligence and machine learning algorithms proactively detect and mitigate cyber threats. Netskope analyzes billions of cloud transactions in real time, so they help you identify and respond to threats quickly and effectively, reducing the risk of data breaches and compliance violations.
Granular control
Easily monitor cloud usage and data movement and enforce security policies based on user behavior, device posture, and data classification. With granular control, you can protect sensitive data, even in complex multi-cloud environments.
Zero Trust
When Zayo and Netskope come together, your network and your security operate in a Zero Trust environment. Your staff accesses cloud resources based on individual identity, device, and contextual factors. With the Zayo/Netskope solution, you enforce strict access controls and continuous authentication, preventing unauthorized access and data exfiltration, reducing the risk of insider threats and credential-based attacks.
Seamless integration
Netskope’s cloud security platform seamlessly integrates with Zayo’s SASE solution, providing a unified platform for networking and security. This integration simplifies deployment, management, and maintenance, so you can maximize the value of your investment in cloud and security technologies.
Netskope’s addition to Zayo’s SASE made a great thing even better. Zayo’s robust networking infrastructure combined with Netskope’s advanced cloud security platform brings comprehensive protection against cyber threats while ensuring seamless and secure access to cloud resources.
Security, Meet Performance
“The ‘A’ in ‘SASE’ is what truly matters. As businesses continue to move away from one data center toward many centers of data, and as their employees move toward ubiquitous connectivity, access becomes paramount. Anytime, anywhere access enables people to be more productive than ever…, further enabling businesses to strike the right balance between staying secure and getting work done.”
– Steve Riley, VP & Field CTO, Netskope